Canadians catch black friday fever Teena swiercz has her walkie talkies charged, her gas tank filled and her money exchanged.At 10 o’clock tomorrow night, she and an accomplice will pile into the car and head for the border. No, they aren’t fugitives from the law.Retail ritual known as black friday.Thanskgiving, which is celebrated on the fourth thursday of november.It’s the unofficial launch of the christmas shopping season in the united states their equivalent of boxing day, only everybody’s still got money and stamina. Black friday is the day to get a deal.Many retailers open their doors early and don’t close until late at night offering extra incentives to bleary eyed early birds who start lining up long before the crack of dawn, ready to jostle, shove and race for limited quantities of drastically reduced items, especially clothing, electronics and toys.A number of retailers in burlington, a two hour drive from montreal southbound on interstate 89, have taken out ads in montreal newspapers promoting black friday sales. Diehards that they are, swiercz and her friend are heading all the way to new hampshire, where there is no sales tax, even if it means driving through the night. “It will be insane, and packed with people all lined up and ready to rumble,”Swiercz said.This year, they decided to go early for a better selection. Swiercz is in the market for shoes and a new ipod, which she has spotted on the target website at a price similar to that in montreal, but with a lower final price once she factors in the exchange rate and a $15 gift card she found online.Googling”Black friday,”They found a few”Secret”Sales on an illicit website that posts specials even before the retailers have made them public.There’s a $10 egyptian cotton bath sheet and a slew of dvds and cds she’s hoping to snare at kohl’s before heading to nearby concord, where target, wal mart and bath body works also look promising. They’ll stay 48 hours, shopping the whole time just long enough to qualify for the $400 exemption when crossing back into canada.Even if they buy more and have to pay duty, they figure it’s still worth ralph lauren outlet australia it. For weeks now, numerous websites have been posting sales and scanned advertisements, spurring at least three national retailers macy’s, wal mart and linens ‘n things to threaten legal action if the ralph lauren australialeaked company circulars were not removed from the sites.At the orvis outlet in essex, vt., near Burlington, store manager Daniel Morgan was already gearing up last weekend, scheduling extra staff and planning markdowns of as much as 70 per cent on such items as cashmere sweaters, blankets and leather jackets.A few doors away, at the polo ralph lauren outlet, staff were set to add an additional 20 per cent discount to every purchase of $150 or more. “Shoppers have big expectations for big, big bargains on black friday.It’s a feeding frenzy to get the quality stuff before it’s all gone,”Morgan said. Sometimes, things get out of hand.Last year, police were called when about 15, 000 shoppers pushed their way into the fashion place mall in murray, utah.The new york times reported that once inside, shoppers ransacked stores and forced clerks to shut their doors.And in torrance, calif., there were reports of nine bargain hunters including an elderly woman who was hospitalized injured in a rush for gift certificates dropped from the ceiling of a local mall. Alice walters, of burlington, says she isn’t sure whether she’ll venture out on black friday.Last year, she came home with a bruised shin and a sore back after a nasty tug of war over a queen size comforter set at jc penney. “It was worth it, though,”She said in an interview. “I snatched it right out of her hands.At $24.99, it was worth fighting over. ” Swiercz and hodge, the black friday novices from montreal, have heard the horror stories from black friday battlefields.But they remain undeterred. “We’re big girls and we’re willing to do what we have to to get a bargain,”Swiercz said. “We’ll be having fun. ” Know your limits:Shopper’s guide to avoiding fines All travellers returning to canada are entitled to bring goods of a certain value into the country without paying duties or taxes.These personal exemptions are: After an absence of 24 hours or more, you can claim as much as $50 canadian.This does not include alcohol or tobacco. After 48 hours or more, you can claim up to $400 canadian, including 1.5 litres(53 ounces)Of wine or 1.14 litres(40 ounces)Of liquor or 24 355 ml(12 ounce)Cans of beer;And 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or cigarillos(In quebec, as long as you are 18 or older).